Stores slash prices to woo shoppers

Can Black Friday save what’s threatening to be a blue Christmas for retailers?

Stores this year are offering broader and deeper discounts on the Friday after Thanksgiving in a bid to lure anxiety-racked shoppers. JC Penney added 20 percent more specials than last year for a total of 400, while Toys R Us says it will have 50 percent more discounts and is extending its sales to Babies R Us stores for the first time in years.

The Black Friday doorbusters come after many retailers have offered a deluge of Black Friday-sized deals and extended hours for weeks now, potentially jading some bargain hunters. After reporting the worst October sales in at least 39 years, stores from consumer electronics retailers to luxury boutiques rolled out discounts as high as 60 percent off new merchandise soon after Halloween.